Video games
Since 1986, various companies have cashed in on the success of Wheel of Fortune by releasing video games for a variety of formats. Surprisingly, none of these adaptations have ever used the shopping format and are all based on the play-for-cash nighttime syndicated version of the show. Vanna White has participated in the games since 1991, and Charlie O'Donnell handled announcing duties from 1998-2010 (it is presumed that Jim Thornton will fill this role in subsequent releases). Pat Sajak has participated very sporadically over the years. For the board game adaptations released since 1975, see Board games. (All games are called Wheel of Fortune and use the two-row logo, unless otherwise noted.) Sharedata (1986-88) The first video game version was released in 1986 on the Commodore 64, Apple II, and MS-DOS; Second Edition (1987) and Third Edition (1988) were released on the same platforms, and all use the $1,000-$1,000-$5,000 top dollar configurations for the main game (and the templates of that era) as well as the five consonants/one vowel format in the Bonus Round. The available Bonus Round prizes are an $8,000 luxury bedroom set, a $13,500 American sports car, a $9,750 17' fishing boat (18' catamaran on the Apple II version), and an $11,200 dream vacation. First Edition has two different covers: the original has the puzzle board with title and Wheel with 1986 Round 1 template but not hooked up to its flippers; the second has the Wheel with flippers and the title shown in puzzle board form as seen on the previous artwork. Second Edition and Third Edition each have a zoomed-in shot of the puzzle board with title. GameTek (1987-97) GameTek released a great many game show titles (mostly Wheel and Jeopardy!) until closing its doors for good in July 1998. Unless otherwise noted, all games have artwork of the puzzle board with WHEEL OF FORTUNE on it plus half of the 1986 Round 3/1987 Round 4 Wheel template. PC (1987, 1989, 1994, 1996) The company released Junior Edition (1987), Golden Edition (1989), Deluxe Edition starring Vanna White (1994), and Deluxe Edition for Windows '95 (1996). In 1990, the Sharedata games were reissued as a box set. NES (1987-88, 1990-91) Rare designed the first three releases for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, April 1988 (Junior Edition), and 1990 (Family Edition). Puzzles and prizes on Junior and Family are appropriate, and Family is the only edition which does not use "Changing Keys". The first three games use the same engine: three rounds are played with a single Wheel template (most likely based on 1986 Round 1; top value is $1,000), with Round 3 beginning in Speed-Up. Bankrupt is seen as "B00", Lose A Turn as "M00" (for Miss A Turn), and Free Spin as "+00". Strangely, Family Edition retains the five-and-a-vowel version of the Bonus Round. Wheel of Fortune featuring Vanna White was released in 1991. This version, developed by IJE (also responsible for Talking Super Jeopardy!), uses a new set of graphics, music, and sound effects. It is also the first version to let the player choose an avatar, and the first to give RSTLNE by default in the Bonus Round. A couple of oddities about Rare's versions: first, the 1987 game has a pair of unused Coca-Cola logos hidden among the sprites (Merv Griffin Productions was owned by Coca-Cola at this point); second, a reference to Wheel is in Rare's 1988 NES game Taboo: The Sixth Sense – each card type has its own music if drawn, and the "Wheel of Fortune" piece is a few seconds of "Changing Keys". Arcade (1988) A video redemption game was released in July 1988, with a single Wheel template (most likely based on 1986 Round 1, with values in $100 increments; top dollar is $900). Players are given a set number of "misses" before gameplay ends, but can receive an extra turn by hitting certain scores and solving puzzles (which also award a $10,000 bonus). There is no Free Spin, Speed-Up, or Bonus Round, but the Vanna look-alike switches color dresses in each round (red in odd-numbered rounds, blue in even-numbered ones). This was the first version to let the player physically spin the Wheel, by way of an encoder wheel also used to select letters and game options. The bezel, marquee, and side artwork all show the entire 1986 Round 3/1987 Round 4 template and puzzle board with title. Game Boy (1990) The Game Boy got a single version apparently based on the Junior Edition board games: the Wheel has values in multiples of $100, with a top value of $1,000 in the first two rounds (Round 3, the Speed-Up, has $5,000). The Bonus Round, still using the five-and-a-vowel rule, is played for $25,000, a boat, a cruise, a trip, or a car. SNES (1992-93) Two versions were released in 1992 and 1993 (Deluxe Edition) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, based on the W-H-E-E-L format first used in September 1989. Deluxe Edition uses the 1992 set and a permanent Speed-Up as Round 5, although the full Wheel shot is replaced by a simple animation. Sega Genesis (1992) The Genesis version was a simultaneous release with the SNES one. They are exactly the same. Game Gear (1992) A unique version for Sega's portable system, with a futuristic atmosphere; while the full set is never seen, a fan took the various elements and made this approximation. This Wheel has just 16 spaces and 12 unique values, with top values of $900/$2,500/$5,000. Nintendo 64 (1997) By 1997, GameTek was rapidly losing money and had no choice but to file for bankruptcy; their final Wheel game was released on December 2 of that year. It is the first version to use the $10,000 wedge, Jackpot round, and touch-screen puzzle board; it is also the last to use the multi-template Wheel. This version has some oddities, possibly a result of the company's financial problems: * The Surprise wedge is not used, despite being seen in the instruction booklet. * If a player tries to buy a vowel with less than $250, they will automatically lose their turn. * Free Spin is only present in Round 3. Also, the orange $400 is teal, likely to avoid two wedges of the same color (as seen on the photo on the back of the box and in the instruction booklet). * If the $10,000 wedge is hit in the Jackpot Round, $10,000 is added to the Jackpot whether the wedge is claimed or not; but if hit in the Speed-Up Round, the Wheel must be spun again. * The Bonus Round is played for $25,000 and the player has 20 seconds to solve the puzzle instead of the usual 10. The intro is styled like the ones used in Seasons 12-14, and the graphic used is the Round 1 template with a gold $10,000 wedge replacing the sparkly-green $1,000. The studio portion of the intro is similar to that of Season 14, and uses the Round 1 template in the game itself in the circular concrete center. The box art uses the then-new puzzle board with title, Vanna, and the barely-seen Wheel with 1996 Round 1 template in the background. The box's back and sides use the 1994-97 version of the two-word logo (i.e., the "O" in "of" looking normal instead of the traditional Wheel shape), with the same artwork as the front. Mattel (1988) An electronic handheld game allowing players to play puzzles from an included videotape, program their own puzzles, or receive "invisible signals" from the TV show's puzzles and play along (a Variety article from March 1988 stated that the interactive element would debut that Fall). The game was plugged during the replacement fee plugs in Summer 1988 (after Jack Clark became too ill to do them), which stated that it only worked on the nighttime show. Season 6 is the only one known to contain these signals, due in part to some owners of the device reporting that it worked when GSN reran it. Lazer-Tron (1992) A unique ticket-redemption game called Spin to Win which was not licensed, but clearly influenced: the player rolls three balls, one at a time, down into one of seven slots which determine the Wheel's movement (normally Bankrupt, 1 Slot Right, 3 Slots Left, No Spin, 3 Slots Right, 1 Slot Left, and Full Spin). The 15-wedge Wheel has values ranging from 1-15 (sometimes 20) tickets along with two Bankrupts, Lose A Ball, Double Ticket Bank, and Bonus Jackpot. The jackpot is awarded by landing on Bonus Jackpot for the third turn, then landing on it again at the end of the following free game. Sony Imagesoft (1994) Released a version for the Sega CD in April 1994, with a PC version following in June. The Sega CD version uses full-motion video and high-quality audio of the 1989 music package (hence the clean copies that exist today) with the 1992 intro and set. The Sega CD version is the first to use Prize wedges: a trip is added in Round 2, followed by jewelry in Round 4; the Surprise wedge is present throughout. The PC version uses the 1992 theme complete with the intro to Season 11 (1993-94) and uses the 1994 set. In Round 2, the $2,500 wedge is colored pink as seen on the artwork, instead of blue as on the show. In Round 3, the $3,500 wedge is colored red instead of magenta. The artwork on both versions feature Vanna in front of the blue contestant "interlocking W" backdrop. The 1994 puzzle board is seen on the cover for the PC version. The logo is the traditional one with colors inside the "wedges". The back of the boxes consist of a red two-row logo, with each wedge in a triangular shape. Funhouse (1995) A non-video redemption game, this version involves lighting up the A, K, and O in JACKPOT by landing on a certain wedge of the 12-wedge Wheel. A light travels around the Wheel itself, and once a coin is inserted the light stops; the Wheel has values in tickets (2-12 by default, though values vary by arcade), a Bankrupt wedge awarding no tickets for that turn (previous winnings are not affected), and a "turn letter" wedge which reveals one of the missing letters and awards a large amount of tickets (50 by default). If JACKPOT is successfully filled in, the player wins an extra 100 tickets. The front of the machine has a photo of the "road show" puzzle board (though duplicated and meshed with one another to fit the width of the machine), a photo of the Wheel with Rounds 4+ template partially blurred as if spinning (taken from the cover of the 1992 Tyco board game), and the logo spelled out all in one row with dots between the words similar to the traditional logo. A Vanna look-alike is placed to the left of the "puzzle". The side artwork features the logo spelled out in one row across a graphic of the "rug" template. Tiger Electronics (1995, 1997-2000, 2002) Tiger released three electronic handheld games, the second (1999) and third (2000) being Deluxe Edition and Junior Edition. All three games had several expansion cartridges, and use a three-round format. If there are only two players and the computer player is Player 2, Player 1 starts Round 3. However, if the computer player has the most money after Round 3, no Bonus Round is played and the game ends. The Bonus Round on all three versions uses the W-H-E-E-L format, but the pointer chooses one of the spaces on the Wheel, and the prize is 10 times the amount the pointer is on. If the "E" is chosen, the unit will randomly choose one of the two. In addition, when choosing the three consonants and one vowel, consonants must be typed in first before the vowel, as typing the vowel automatically enables the Solve mode and the player can no longer refer back to the category. The 1995 game uses a 12-space Wheel with the following layout: $100-Bankrupt-$750-$2,500-$400-$500-Lose A Turn-$600-$5,000-$250-Free Spin-$300, with $2,500 activated in Round 2 and $5,000 in Round 3. Free Spin is available in all rounds, however it is inactive on the Wheel until used, which must be done immediately after calling an incorrect letter, missolving the puzzle, or hitting Bankrupt or Lose A Turn (the latter two rarely occur while a player has a Free Spin). If the player solves the puzzle while still holding a Free Spin, it does not carry over into the next round and has to be re-earned. If a puzzle is solved with less than $250, the player's score is upgraded to that "house minimum". The QWERTY keyboard is color-coded to differentiate the letters, with consonants in purple and vowels in blue. The artwork on the packaging includes a logo similar to that of Seasons 12-14, but with the Wheel-shaped O on the logo, and Bankrupt, a purple Lose A Turn, and a green Free Spin on the Wheel graphic itself, all against a photo of an unrevealed road show puzzle board beneath a starfield background. The graphic for the expansion cartridges use Lose A Turn in its traditional yellow color. The game was marketed on the backs of specially-marked boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, which also had a mini-game which contained Corn Flakes-related puzzles that could be solved using a letter-by-number code to help out. When Tiger attempted to enter the portable video game market with the Game.com, two versions of Wheel were released in 1997 and 1998; both contain 750 puzzles and are controlled by the touch screen, with the 1998 game called Wheel of Fortune 2. Following the Game.com's failure, Tiger released an electronic handheld game based on the Wheel slot machines. This version has a Super Jackpot which begins at $5,000 and increases by $1-$3 depending on the player's bet; the Jackpot is won by either landing on the Super Jackpot wedge or getting three Wheel symbols on the payline with a $3 bet. The Wheel is spun when a SPIN symbol hits the payout line, offering an easy way to win the Super Jackpot or some value between $20 and $1,000. The Deluxe Edition game (1999) has the 1998 template and some special spaces: Free Spin, active in Rounds 1 and 2, is awarded the same way as the 1995 game and like before cannot be carried over to the next round and has to be re-earned. Cash Bonus, active in Rounds 2 and 3, awards a bonus anywhere from $500-$3,000 in $500 increments if a correct consonant is chosen. Once hit, it became inactive for the rest of the round. Jackpot, active in Round 3 only, awards $20,000 to the player's score if a correct consonant is called; this is a flat-rate cash prize, regardless of how many of that consonant appears and regardless of how many times it's landed on during the round. The $10,000 space, the second Bankrupt, $1,000, and $2,500 are active throughout, with $3,500 activated in Round 2 and $5,000 in Round 3. There are three different "house minimum" scores should a player solve the puzzle with less than that: $250 in Round 1, $500 in Round 2, and $750 in Round 3. The only "bonus" categories are Fill-In-The-Blank and Where Are We?, both identical to the show. In addition, there is a small lever at the top that can slide to the right to "spin" the Wheel. Differences between the 1995 and 1999 games were the keyboard had all 26 letters of the alphabet in order instead of the QWERTY format, there was a Used Letter Board, and the puzzle board was much bigger. The package artwork of the game and expansion cartridges feature a colorful zoomed-up rendition of the 1998 Round 1 template, and the logos feature a capital O in "of" instead of the Wheel-shaped O or normal O in the 1994-97 logos. In 2002, the company released Wheel of Fortune Crossword. Hasbro Interactive (1998-2000) Released two versions for the Sony Playstation on June 5, 1998 and November 20, 2000, plus two PC editions in 1999 and 2000. The first edition has a blue background, while the second has a red background and includes a behind-the-scenes look at the show and a sample contestant exam. These games were developed by Artech Entertainment, Ltd. The artwork on all versions feature Vanna gesturing towards the 1997 puzzle board with title and Wheel with 1996 Round 1 template, with the Wheel lacking its handles and also showing the top light layer of the new base. There are 2 major sound effect differences in both games: The Bonus Round's "envelope select" sound replaces the usual "Only Vowels Remain" sound, while the Bonus Category chimes replace the usual Speed-Up bell. ICE (2000, 2005) In 2000, ICE released a redemption game similar to their popular Cyclone. This version, using the 1997 "Changing Keys", requires the player to stop the light on a blue bulb marked "Spin Zone"; if accomplished, the 20-space Wheel above is spun. A coin-pusher version was released in 2005, where players drop their coins onto a lighted section (the light moves back and forth along seven sections) to light up the puzzle board at the top of the machine (WHEEL OF FORTUNE). If done, the Wheel was spun for a bonus. Infogrammes (2002) Released Wheel of Fortune 2003 in November 2002 for PC and Playstation. As with the Hasbro versions, the games were developed by Artech Entertainment, Ltd. Atari (2003) Released a single version for the Playstation 2 on March 8, 2003, also with a sample contestant exam. Amusingly, it includes themed weeks (including Disco and Fast Cars) referred to in Charlie's intro as days (i.e., "It's Fast Cars Day on Wheel of Fortune!") Strangely, the Wheel includes the sequin-green $1,000 wedge despite having been retired three years earlier. Jakks Pacific (2005, 2007) Released a controller in 2005 which plugs into a television and plays the game without the need of a console. The controller features a directional pad, A and B buttons (styled like puzzle board monitors displaying said letters), and a spinning Wheel with the 1999-2006 layout. The Wheel can be spun using either the Wheel on the controller, or by pressing B. It can also be used to scroll through letters when entering a player's name before a game, or selecting letters during a game. If a player fails to spin the Wheel at least one full rotation in two attempts, the turn is forfeited. The Wheel used in-game is based on the 1999-2006 layout, except Lose A Turn is displayed as "Lose Turn", the yellow-orange $500 is $550, and a variant of the traditional logo is in the center. In Round 1, a second regular-sized Bankrupt is used instead of the $10,000 Wedge. In the Jackpot Round (Round 2), the Jackpot increases by the amounts earned by players rather than the value of each spin. In the Mystery Round (introduced with the Prize Puzzle chimes), there is only one Mystery Wedge on the Wheel, though its prize is $15,000 in spendable cash. A "Gift Tag" (a blue circle labeled with a "P") and Free Spin (a dark green circle labeled with an "S") are available throughout the game, with a Prize wedge and a second Free Spin added in Round 2. The Gift Tag and Free Spins are placed at random. Despite the layout on the controller featuring the $5,000 wedge, there is no Round 4. Aside from $100,000, the cash prizes available in the Bonus Round range from $25,000-$75,000. Any time a player runs low on time for choosing an option, spinning, guessing a letter, or solving, the Speed-Up bells sound. The Bonus Round timer music is used when attempting to solve a puzzle. There are two different single-player modes: "Game Show" and "Endurance". The former limits the player to solving each puzzle without losing their turn a certain number of misses, identified as "turns" (4, 5, or 6, depending on the difficulty level), while the goal of the latter is to amass a high score by playing as many games as possible until running out of turns, which are not replenished at the start of a new round. Once the player runs out of turns, the puzzle solution is revealed with the chimes and the game ends. The player's score is the total accumulated from previous rounds up to that point. The game supports up to three human players, with no option for AI opponents. Due to the limitations of having only one controller, Toss-Ups are not done. Instead, for multiplayer games, order of play is determined by spinning the Wheel, with the highest value starting Round 1. Each subsequent round is started by whoever won the previous round. The colors used to identify the second and third players are blue and yellow, respectively. In 2007, a second edition was released with a new controller unit. This version has the same design, though with a new color scheme and a few other minor differences, such as the removal of the directional pad. Instead, the player scrolls through options using the Wheel, which now spins both clockwise and counterclockwise. In the directional pad's place is a picture of the Free Spin and, despite not being in-game, the Wild Card. The second edition features slightly updated graphics. Palm trees are added behind the puzzle board and the Wheel border is updated from the gold/blue style (used on the show from 1997-2003) to the current neon style. The Free Spin is changed to a plain, green circle with no text. The Wheel layout is the same, with the exception of the removal of the second Free Spin and Gift Tag. Expansion packs featuring additional puzzles were planned for the first edition through Jakks Pacific's GameKey concept, a cartridge that could be inserted into a special slot in the controller, though never released. The GameKey slot was removed from the second edition's controller. The packaging of each shows the layout from 1999-2006, and the game itself uses the Season 24 logo and 2000-06 theme. Stern Pinball (2007) A pinball game designed by Kevin O'Connor and Margaret Hudson was released in late 2007, featuring Pat and Charlie. Sony Online Entertainment (2007-09) In 2007, Sony Online Entertainment released a PC version called Wheel of Fortune 2 (an update of their 2003 online game), followed by Wheel of Fortune Deluxe and the feature-identical Super Deluxe. A version was released for the Playstation 3 on March 19, 2009; while being the first game to have the Million-Dollar Wedge and follow the Season 26 rules, it has two major detriments: not only does it lack the Gift Tags, Prize wedges, Prize Puzzles and Speed-Up rounds (most likely because they most likely weren't considered as unncessary here like on the show), but a bug renders the Wild Card unusable unless the player buys a vowel that is in the puzzle. Irwin (2009) Released two "talking" electronic versions: Deluxe Edition and Platinum Edition. Each feature a Wheel with the current color template, but with dollar signs only. When the Wheel is spun, the Seasons 24-26 template scrolls upwards on the screen (and with gradual movements of the Wheel, can stop anywhere the player wishes). Each game also has a QWERTY keyboard that can only be used with the included touchpen. As it follows the Season 26 rules, the Jackpot Wedge, Mystery Wedges, Wild Card, Prize wedge, Million-Dollar Wedge, Gift Tag, and Free Spin (shown as "Free Spin + $300" if the Wheel stops there) are present. When landed on, the dollar value underneath each "cardboard piece" is revealed on the display as the player chooses a letter. Irwin's games are the only electronic LCD games to use the opening chant and current sound effects (minus the puzzle-solve cue), and also use the first few notes of the 2000 theme. The graphics and logo on both the packaging and the games are from Season 24. Raw Thrills (2010) In Summer 2010, Raw Thrills, in association with Konami and Play Mechanix, released another Wheel redemption game for arcades. The game's motif is based on that of Season 27, with various music cues from the show and gameplay using real photos from the show's actual set. On the machine itself, a large, vertically-mounted Wheel is displayed in front of where the player sits. Under the Wheel is a touch-sensitive monitor with a small "knob" underneath used for spinning the Wheel, similar to GameTek's arcade machine. An optional additional feature for the machine is a stool that the player can sit on. The stool has a curved shape similar to a contestant podium from the show, and has a blue cushion along the top in a fashion similar to the padded railing that sits atop the contestant area. The outer side of the stool bears the Season 27 logo. Sitting along the sides of the machine are two large cutouts of the basic Wheel template with the Season 27 logo over it, but with the top dollar value and penalty wedges replaced with cash wedges. A similar layout is printed on the "Spin" knob. The game has two modes: a regular mode and a "Double Play" mode (accompanied by a graphic similar to the Double Play token), which doubles the value of all spins and costs twice as much to play. After inserting the desired amount of credits, the player chooses a mode, and the game opens with a shortened version of the Season 27 opening animation. The player is then greeted by an unknown announcer. A puzzle and its category is displayed on the puzzle board. Depending on the puzzle's length, a few letters may already be revealed at this point. Any necessary punctuation is omitted, including from contractions. The player is prompted to spin the Wheel by turning the "Spin" knob. The player will get either one or three spins, depending on the settings configured by necessary staff. Spin power is displayed on a meter at the bottom of the screen. If the spin is too weak, the player is prompted to spin again. Otherwise, the words "WATCH WHEEL" appear with two arrows pointing up. After the wheel stops, the player is shown the value they are playing for and a keyboard appears on the screen to choose a letter. Only letters that appear in the puzzle can be chosen. If the mode only allows one spin, the player will choose three letters. Otherwise, the player spins three times, one for each letter. When a letter is chosen, all its instances are revealed on the board as an unknown model walks across. Vowels are treated in the same fashion as consonants and will not cost the player any tickets if chosen. As usual, the player receives the value of the spin, in tickets, for each instance of the associated letter. After three letters have been chosen, the game prompts the player to solve the puzzle. Depending on how much of the puzzle has already been revealed, a bonus is awarded for solving the puzzle correctly. When solving, if a wrong letter is typed, the player is buzzed and the puzzle is revealed. Even if the puzzle is not solved, the player still wins the total amount of tickets earned from guessing letters. Like its TV counterpart, the Wheel has 24 wedges. There are multiple different layouts that can be used, all of which have different payouts. Each layout has an assigned cost required for playing the game. On the default layout, which assigns the game a cost of $1.00 for regular play, normal ticket values range from 2-10. There are also four "special" wedges, all located 90 degrees apart and split into thirds like the show's Million-Dollar Wedge. The outer two sections are white and only worth one ticket on all layouts. The middle section is gold and is worth 20, 50, or 200 tickets. The Wheel layout with the highest payout assigns the game a cost of $3 for regular play. Normal ticket values range from 4-20 and the three top values are 100, 250, and 500. Though the Wheel used in this game has no penalty wedges, early versions displayed at various trade shows used four Bankrupts (plus two on the outer sections of the top ticket value instead of 1-ticket spaces) and two Lose A Turns. THQ (2010-) THQ is the current holder of video game rights, releasing a version for the Wii and Nintendo DS on November 2, 2010. It is not only the first version to use the Gift Tags, Prize Puzzles, and Free Play, but it is also the first console version to feature Pat. It is also notable for being the last game with Charlie, who died the day before. The Wii avatars of Pat and Vanna were used in various openings during Season 28, in part to tie in with the then-new game. A few of these openings were also used as commercial bumpers in Season 29. Facebook (2010-) An adaptation using a one-round plus Bonus Round structure which plays very similarly to the main game. Upon opening the game, the current opening music plays in its entirety. The Season 27-28 Round 1 template is used minus any "extras", and the yellow $400 in place of Free Play. Four bonuses are available: Timeout, which pauses the game for up to 30 seconds; Free Play, which functions identically to the wedge; Reveal Letter, which shows every instance of a particular letter, starting with those that are on the board least; and Double Bucks, which functions identically to Double Play. The game allows up to five lost turns (not counting wrong letters from Free Play), with a 10-second timer for calling a letter. There is also a $1,000 house minimum if the player loses their fifth turn or solves for less than that amount. Bonus Rounds are played for $5,000 with a 30-second timer. Unsolved bonus puzzles may be submitted to a friend, which awards $2,500 to both the friend and the original player if solved. Every $150,000 earned increases the level and awards 75 Wheel Gold. For some reason, Bankrupts are exceedingly rare, and it seems that the Wheel is programmed not to hit Lose A Turn unless a wrong letter has been called. Returning every day earns an episode, an amount of gold (10 for one day, 20 for two days in a row, and 30 for three or more), and two spins of the Spin & Win, which involves spinning the Bonus Wheel to win a prize (either an episode, a bonus, or a random amount of Wheel Gold). Wheel Gold may be used to buy more episodes and/or bonuses, which can also be purchased with Facebook Credits. Daily bonuses for players (usually a free episode or amount of gold) are also posted on the game's wall. Originally, money earned in-game could be used to purchase items in "collections" (individual wedges, letters, outfits, etc.). Each collection was unlocked upon completing five levels of the game, with a Wheel Gold bonus for purchasing an entire collection. There were five sets of collections: bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond. Also, the amount of money needed to level up was made increasingly higher with each level. The collections were retired, and the level-up amount fixed at $150,000, in May 2011 as a means of making the game easier. Both this version and the Wii/DS ones use the categories Book Title and Classic Movies, neither of which are on the actual show. They also refer to TV Title as TV Show Title, albeit inconsistently. Canceled Versions While a great many versions were released, several were not. Unless otherwise noted, no prototypes are known to exist, although the Admins invite anything saying otherwise. The Great Game Company (1983) While the first Wheel video game was released in 1986, it was not the first attempt. In September 1982, one was touted for the Atari 2600 (a console offered at times on the show) and Mattel Intellivision alongside Family Feud, Jeopardy!, The Joker's Wild, Password Plus, The Price Is Right, and Tic-Tac-Dough. Two of these were scheduled to appear at the New York City Toy Fair in March 1983, with Michael Sisson in charge of graphics design. All seven titles were shelved following what has been called "The Great Video Game Crash of 1983", with no pictures released. It has been speculated that due to the then-low abilities of game consoles, the seven titles would have been like the Magnavox Odyssey (overlays on the TV screen) or early RPG games (including a board and some accessories). IJE, which owned The Great Game Company, licensed the Wheel rights to Sharedata in 1986. The resulting success prompted IJE to try publishing game show titles again, resulting in a name change...to GameTek. Philips Interactive Media (1995) A version of Wheel was planned for the Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-i) alongside several other titles (Jeopardy!, Name That Tune, The Joker's Wild, The Joker's Wild Jr., and Lingo). All were released except for Wheel, and Lingo was exclusive to European territories. Charlie handled announcing duties on Jeopardy! (hosted by Alex Trebek) plus both Joker games (hosted by Wink Martindale and Marc Summers, respectively; Charlie announced the TV show from 1981-86). The CD-i Tune, based on an unsold pilot, was hosted by Bob Goen. GameTek (1996) Adaptations were planned for the Sega Saturn and Panasonic 3DO systems, announced to be "coming soon" by Charlie at the end of at least one 1996 episode (specifically December 18). Based on this, they would have likely been the only iterations to use the 1995-97 puzzle board and may have used the Double Play token as well. However, no traces of either version appear to exist. A comment on gaming blog Joystiq claimed to have done Quality Assurance for Wheel, Jeopardy!, and Family Feud (which was released for 3DO). It is possible that GameTek's dwindling resources resulted in their cancellation. Tiger Electronics (2004) Teamed with VEIL Wireless Technologies to make Wheel of Fortune Live Play, which let home viewers play along with the actual TV show (similar to the 1988 Mattel game). It was never released due to technical issues, although one unit (possibly a prototype) was sold on eBay in December 2006. Oddly, it featured a Parker Brothers logo. MGA Entertainment (2008) Acquired the rights to make DVD games of Wheel and Jeopardy! in 2006. Jeopardy! was released in Spring 2007, with Wheel planned as a follow-up for early 2008; unfortunately, Wheel was shelved halfway through production due to "numerous converging factors". Standalone discs featuring additional content were also planned for both games. Jeopardy!'s were never released. Sony Online Entertainment (2010) Platinum Edition was slated for release in January 2010. The box art was similar to those of SOE's previous PC releases, but with the motif of Season 27. While made available for pre-order at various online retailers (including Amazon), neither the game or any screenshots were released. Category:Lists